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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · chair · mug · fine · stock · net · ball · cabinet

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. chair — a leader
  5. ball — a great time
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stock — goods
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. fine — high quality
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. mug — to rob
  14. net — in sport
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mug — a cup
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ball — a dance
  23. stock — shares
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com